Gas disengaging combination for catalytic contacting apparatus



June 10, 1952 D. D. M KINNEY GAS DISENGAGING COMBINATION FOR CATALYTICCONTACTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1947 INEINTOR.

fimgfif D. [ll-$2127 BY M ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1952 GASDISENGAGING COMBINATION FOR CATALYTIC CONTACTING APPARATUS Dwight D.McKinney, Drexel Hill, Pa., assigncr to Houdry Process Corporation,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application December 31,1947, Serial No. 795,051

4 Claims. (Cl. 23-288) My invention relates to methods of and apparatusfor either disengaging or engaging vapors or gases from or with contactmaterial during movement thereof through a reaction housing. Further, asregards a disengaging operation, my invention relates to a method of andapparatus for separating contact material fines from hydrocarbon vaporsafter disengagement thereof from a main stream of contact material.

My invention relates generally to a system wherein hydrocarbon vaporsundergo conversion or reaction in the presence of heated contactmaterial which moves or gravitates through a reaction housing. With asystem of this character, it becomes necessary for vapors to be eitherdisengaged from or engaged with the contact material in a lower zone ofthe reaction housing. This, in accordance with my invention, isaccomplished in a novel and highly satisfactory manner.

To this end, in accordance with a broad concept of the invention, thecontact material, during movement thereof through the aforesaid zone, isdeflected along a downwardly inclined path which, throughout acircumferentially complete area thereof, is of porous character so thatvapors readily pass therethrough. The aforesaid path may be defined by aporous sheet-like structure of any preferred type such, for example, asa screen having suitable mesh. More particularly, the zone referred toabove may be characterized by facing circumferentially complete porouspaths which are inclined downwardly in converging relation, and thevertical axis of each path may coincide with the vertical axis of thereaction housing.

As regards a disengaging operation, the converted vapors, afterdisengagement from the contact material, usually have contact materialfines entrained therein. Accordingly, the fines-carrying vapors mayadvantageously be directed into a chamber and there passed along acircuitous path, as around a baflle. to suitably decrease the vaporvelocity and effect de-entrainment of the fines. As regards this featureof the invention, it is to be understood that, broadly, there is to beno limitation thereof to hydrocarbon vapors as the medium in which thefines are entrained.

When vapors or gases, not necessarily hydrocarbon vapors, are disengagedfrom contact material traversing a reaction housing where any suitablereaction is conducted, it often happens, as indicated above, that suchvapors or gases have contact material fines entrained therein. Inaccordance with a feature of the 2 present invention, these fines may besegregated from the medium in which they are entrained and suitablycollected, as in a chamber of the reaction housing, for disposal asdesired.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the contactmaterial, after passage thereof below a suitable disengaging or engagingzone, for example, of the character described above, is deflected bychamber-forming members horizontally disposed in said housing insuitably spaced relation and, simultaneously, a purging medium is passedinto said chambers for subsequent engagement with the contact material.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description.

My invention resides in the disclosed methods and apparatus for eitherdisengaging or engaging vapors or gases from or with moving contactmaterial, the method steps, features and arrangements of the characterdescribed and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of one formof apparatus with which the invention may be practiced, reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showingapparatus as constructed in accordance with one form of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views, partly in plan, taken onthe respective lines 22 and 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a detailed featureof the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, showing anarrangement for passing contact material fines from a reaction housing.

Referring to Fig. l, I have shown a vertical housing I which, inhorizontal cross section, may be circular or of any other suitableconfiguration. The housing I defines a reaction zone wherein hydrocarbonmaterial is cracked or otherwise converted in the presence of contactmaterial C which moves therethrough under the influence of gravity, thecontact material C, usually after regeneration thereof in a suitableregenerating zone, not shown, being introduced into said housing I insuitable man.- ner, as by an inlet pipe 2 extending through the tophousing wall at the center thereof. As herein shown, the contactmaterial C' which gravitates through the pipe 2 may be discharged into ahopper 3 suitably supported at the top of the housing I. Depending fromand communicating with the hopper 3 are a plurality of angularly relatedpipes 4 arranged substantially as a circular row around a centercoinciding approximately with the vertical housing axis. The contactmaterial, under the influence of gravity, gravitates through the hopper3 and the pipes 4 below which it forms a downwardly moving solid bed Bof contact material, the upper surface of which has conicalconfiguration beneath each of the pipes 4. The lower end of the housingI', which may be conical, communicates with a discharge pipe 5 throughwhich the spent contact material passes toward the aforesaidregenerating zone. In known manner, the pipe 5 has associated therewitha Valve 5a which restricts or impedes the flow of contact materialtherethrough so that, in the housing I, the contact material movesdownwardly in sol-id bed fashion as noted above.

When hydrocarbon material is to be cracked in the housing I, the contactmaterial C hereinbefore referred to should be catalytic in character andthe temperature thereof, upon admission to the housing I, should rangebetween 800 F. and 1000 F. or higher, for example, about 900 F. Anysuitable kind of catalytic contact material may thus be utilized such,for example, as activated clay pellets, or synthetic silica-aluminapellets, or beads, etc. having suitable major dimensions such as betweenand A of an inch. Other suitable catalysts for cracking includesynthetic plural oxide composites, silicious or nonsilicious incharacterand containing, for example, zirconia, alumina or beryllia. In lieu of acracking operation, other types of conversion operations such, forexample, as one wherein hydrocarbon material of the character referredto below is desulphurized under known conditions with catalytic contactmaterial of the general character referred to above, or equivalent. Or,reforming or dehydrogenation of naphthas or other normally liquidhydrocarbons may be effected in the presence of the above or otherdesired types of catalyst, certain of which are well known inthe art. Inlieu of the conversion operations described above, heavy hydrocarbonmaterial may be vaporized and viscosity-broken in the presenceof inertcontact material of known character.

Hereinafter, in a detailed manner, the invention is described withrespect to an operation in volving disengagement of converted vaporsfrom suitable cracking contact material which may be of the characterdescribed above. During such an operation, hydrocarbon vapors such, forexample, as vaporized gas oil, naphtha or lighter hydrocarbons havingsuitabl elevated temperature, as in a range from 750 F. to 1000 F., areadmitted continuously through a pipe 6 to the space above the bed B. Ashereinafter described, these vapors pass through the housing Iconcurrently as regards the gravitating contact material C and, in thepresence thereof, are subjected to. a cracking operation, the resultingcracked vapors, in accordance with the invention, being disengaged fromthe contact material in anovel manner as hereinafter described. As thisoperation proceeds, a suitable gaseous medium such as steam is admitted,in accordance with the invention to the lower portion of the housing Ito prevent passage of cracked products through the pipe 5.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, I have shown achamber-defining, conical deflecting 4 member I which may comprise acylindrical lower portion Ia, Fig. l. Concentrically disposed withrespect to the conical member 'I is a chamber-defining annular member 8.As shown, the annular member 8 may be defined by'sloping inner and outersides which converge upwardly to an apex having annular configuration,said inner and outer sides terminating, if desired, in the respectivelower portions 8a and 8b, the lower portion 8a. being annular andconcentrically disposed with respect to the aforesaid lower portion "Idof the conical member I whereas the lower portion 8b, throughout itscircular length, is spaced equidistantly from and at the sam angle asthe adjacent interior surface of the lower conical end of the housing I.As shown, all of the lower portions of the members I and 8 may terminateat a common horizontal plane.

The members I and 8 may be supported in any suitable manner and, to thisend, there may be utilized a pair of angularly related cross bars 9which are horizontally disposed and engaged in abutting relation withthe interior surface of the conical lower end of the housing I, thesebars. Q extending through the members I and. 8 in supporting relation.The annular member 8 may be braced by brackets I'EI extending betwen theportion 81) thereof and. said. interior surface of the housing I.Similarly, the conical member I may be braced by brackets. I I extendingfrom. the

lower interior surface thereof to. a horizontal cross bar I2, the endsof which engage said interior surface of the housing I in abuttingrelation. By welded joints, or equivalent, theaforesaid cross bars 9,,I2 together with the brackets.

It, I I may be secured to the respective surfaces of the housing I andthe members I and. 8' which ar engaged thereby.

A pipe I3 extends from the exterior of the housing I into and throughthe chambers defined by the respective members. I and 8, this pipe beprovided with ports or passages I3a. which communicate with. saidchambers, respectively. For the purposehereinaiter described, this. pipeI3 is traversed by a, gaseous medium. which is. en-

gaged with the contact material at the lower surfaces of the members Iand 8.

Resting upon the annular apex of the. member 8 and secured thereto in.suitable manner, as by a welded joint, is an upstanding tubular memberI4; A second tubular member I5 haying height substantially less thanthat of the tubular member I4 is. disposed exteriorly thereof. inconcentric spaced relation with respect thereto. As shown, thevrespective upper and lower. surfaces of the member I5 are disposed. tosubstantial extentbelow and above the corresponding surfaces of themember I4; As indicated in. Figs. 1 and 2, brackets I5, interposedbetween the members I4. and I5, are welded or otherwise suitably securedthereto and utilized. forsupporting purposes as regards said member I'5Athird,

tubular member IT is disposed exteriorly of the tubular member It inconcentric spaced relation.

with respect. thereto, the upper surface, of said tubular member I11being disposed at a higher level than the lower surface ofthe tubularmember I5. The tubular member IT may besupported by the hereinbefore,described crossbars 9. to which it may be welded or otherwise suitablysecured.

Extending upwardly from the upper surfaceof the tubular member I5 is acircumferentially' complete, frusto-conical screen I8 which engages, theinterior surface of the housing I. Similarly,

a circumferentially complete, frusto-conical member I9 extends upwardlyfrom the upper surface of the tubular member I1 and said member It maybe welded or otherwise suitably secured to the respective upper andlower surfaces engaged thereby. A plurality of spaced brackets 28 may bedisposed, first, between facing surfaces of the screen I8 and member I9and, second, between facing surfaces of the member I9 and the housing I,these brackets being welded or otherwise suitably secured to therespective surfaces engaged thereby and utilized for bracing purposes aswill be understood.

symmetrically disposed exteriorly of the hereinbefore described conicalmember I is a tubular member 2I which may be secured by welded joints tothe cross bars 9. Upstanding from the tubular member 2| and welded orotherwise suitably secured thereto is a circumferentially complete,conical member 22 which may have an inverted frusto-conical member 23secured interiorly thereof as shown in Fig. 1.

Disposed interiorly of and concentrically with respect to thehereinbefore described tubular member It is a tubular member 24 which isrelated symmetrically to the aforesaid conical member 22. As shown, thetubular member 24 may be supported in operative position by a pluralityof spaced brackets 25 which are welded or otherwise suitably secured tofacing surfaces of the respective tubular members I4 and 24. Extendingupwardly from the upper surface of the tubular member 24 is acircumferentially complete, conical screen 26 which may be welded orotherwise suitably secured to said upper surface of the tubular member24. For bracing purposes, a plurality of spaced brackets 21 may besecured by welded joints, or equivalent, to facing surfaces of theconical member 22 and the screen 26, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, cross bars 28 may engage the exterior surfaceof the conical member 22 and extend through the screens 26, I8 so as toengage the interior surface of the hereinbefore described member I9.These cross bars should be welded to the parts engaged thereby so as toimpart rigidity thereto.

In accordance with the invention, annular angle bars 29 are suitablysecured, as by welded joints, in suitably spaced relation to theinterior surface of the screen I8 and the exterior surface of the screen26, these angle bars being utilizable as and for the purpose hereinafterdescribed.

Further, in accordance with the invention, the upper portion of thehereinbefore described tubular member I! is provided with a plurality ofspaced passages IIa positioned, preferably, in horizontal row formation.Projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member II are lipsor vanes III) which are associated with the respective passages I'Ia soas to deflect the cracked vapors passing therethrough for the purposehereinafter described. Similarly, the upper portion of the tubularmember 2I is provided with a horizontal row of spaced passages 2m and,on its inner surface, said member 21 comprises lips or vanes 2Ib whichare associated with said passages 2Ia, respectively, and utilizable forthe same purpose as the lips or vanes Ill).

The hereinbefore described conical member I9 and the upper portion ofthe tubular member I'I define with an interior surface area ofthehousing I a chamber A. Further, the conical member I9, the upper portionof the tubular member II,

the tubular member I5 and the conical screen I8 define a chamber AI.Still further, the tubular member 24, the conical screen 26, the conicalmember 22 and the upper portion of the conical member 2I define achamber A2. Still further, the upper portion of the tubular member 2|and the conical member 22 define a chamber A3. As shownon the drawing,each of these chambers has a lower outlet utilizable for the purposedescribed below. In the manner hereinafter described, cracked vaporstogether with contact material fines pass into all of these chambers.The vapors and some of the fines admitted to the chamber A2 pass intothe chamber A3 by way of the aforesaid passages: 2 Id, and, similarly,the vapors and some of the fines admitted to the chamber AI pass intothe chamber A by way of the aforesaid passages IId. In accordance withthe invention, the chambers A3 and A are placed in communicatingrelation by one or more pipes 3E]. During operation, the cracked vaporspass from the chamber A3 to the chamber A by way of said pipes 30 and,from the chamber last named, said cracked vapors pass to any suitabledestination, not shown, by way of one or more pipes 3I.

In the form of the invention herein shown, the housing I is acylindrical vessel which is circular in horizontal section. Therespective vertical axes of the member 1, the member 8, the tubularmember 2|, the conical member 22, the conical screen 26, the conicalscreen I8 and the conical member I9 are shown as coinciding with thevertical axis of the housing I. The same holds true as regards all ofthe parts previously described which are circumferentially complete andextend either vertically or in inclined relation interiorly of the lowerportion of the housing I. The conical screen 26 is inclined downwardlyin symmetrical diverging relation with respect to the vertical axis ofthe housing I and, likewise, the conical screen I8 is inclineddownwardly in symmetrical converging relation with respect to saidhousing axis. Hence, these two screens form a path through which thecontact material converges as it gravitates between them. The relationdescribed immediately above is a preferred arrangement although, in someof its broader aspects, the invention is not to be thus restricted.

The screens I8 and 26, the conical members I9 and 22, and thechamber-forming members I and 8 deflect the downwardly moving contactmaterial and, therefore, these parts should be positioned with respectto a horizontal plane at an angle greater than the angle of repose ofthe moving contact material so as to at least minimize or even avoidretarded or hindered fiow of the contact material adjacent surfaces itcontacts.

As hereinbefore stated, the contact material C, during operation of thedisclosed apparatus, gravitates through the housing I in solid bedfashion. Simultaneously, hydrocarbon vapors to be cracked are admittedcontinuously by way of the pipe 6 to said housing I and conditions aremaintained such that the interior housing pressure is determined by thatexisting in the hereinbefore described outlet pipes 3I. In known manner,a suitable sealing medium, such as a stream of flue gases, is admittedto the top of the housing I by way of a pipe Ia, Fig. 1, this sealingmedium being maintained under pressure slightly greater than theinterior housing pressure in order to prevent passage of hydrocarbonvapors upwardly through the pipe 2. I Accordingly, the

7 admitted-hydrocarbon vapors pass downwardly concurrently as regardsthe gravitating contact material and are disengaged therefrom in themanner hereinafter described. As the foregoing operation proceeds,steam, flue gases or other suitable purging gaseous medium is :admittedto the chamber-forming members I and '8 by way of the pipe It. Thepurging medium which is thus admitted is under pressure greater thanthat existing at the level of the aforesaid pipes 31 and, at the lowersurfaces of the respective members 1 and 8, the purging mediumis'engaged with the contact material forpassage upwardly and downwardlytherethroug'h. In known manner, the operation last described preventspassage of cracked hydrocarbon vapors through the pipe 5.

The contact material, during passage thereof through the lowerportion'of the housing 1, passes in converging manner between theconical screens 18 and 2E. The contact material thus converges as asingle stream until it-ar-rives at the upper surface of thetubu'larmember I4 whereupon it moves downwardly as separate streamswhich initially converge and then merge into concentric tubular streamswhich move between the tubular members 15 and 24 and subsequently engagethe annular member 8.

By far the larger portion of the 'gravitating contact material movesthrough the lower portion of the housing I in the manner describedabove. I"

However, as stated, contact material fines enter all of the describedchambers A, Al, A2 and A3. These fines, as the operation continues, passfrom said chambers through the respective lower outlets thereof and jointhe maincolumn of gravitating contact material.

The conical screens i8 and 26 relate to an important feature of theinvention and they define inclined surfaces or paths porous to thehydrocarbon vapors. Hence, during concurrent movement of the contactmaterial and the hydrocarbon vapors downwardly through thehousing i, thecracked vapors pass through said screens and are disengaged fromthe'majorportion'of'the contact material C, these vapors thereafter, ashereinafter more "particularly described, passing through the housingchambers Al, A and A2, A3 whereupon they leave said housing'by way ofthe described pipes 30 and 3|. It will be understood,

then, that the mesh of the screens 1'8 and 26 compared with the meshofthe contact material should be chosen with this end in view. Thus, forexample, the mesh of the screens l8 and 25 may range between '80 and 100when the mesh of the contact material C ranges between 2 and 50.

In Fig. 1, the screens I8 and 2B are shown as of the single layer type.However, from a practi cal viewpoint, it may be desirable .for thescreen construction to be otherwise, for example, as shown in Fig. 4wherein individual screens s and s! are shown as welded or otherwisesuitably secured to each other in facing relation. The screen s servesas a support or reinforcement and, hence, the screen-forming wiresshould be heavy and the mesh thereof large, for example, much largerthan the mesh of the contact material. The screen sl has the-samefunction .as the screens l8 and'26described above and, therefore, themesh thereof should be substantially smaller than that of the contactmaterial. In practicing the invention, .it will be understood that bothof the screens 18 and 2B are formed preferably as shown in Fig. 4 andthatthe' smaller 8 mesh screen should be directly engaged by thegravitating contact material.

As hereinbefore described, annular angle bars 29 are secured to theinterior surface of the screen I8 and to the exterior surface of thescreen 26. The projecting portion of each angle bar is engaged bycontact material which remains thereon as a stagnant mass and has asurface extending upwardly and inclined toward the screen. As regardseach angle bar 29, it is this inclined surface of stagnant contactmaterial which is engaged by the gravitating contact material.Accordingly, when the angle bars 29 have proper dimensions and areproperly spaced,

the entire screen area is covered entirely or substantially so by arelatively thin layer of stagnant or stationary contact material whichforms a protective barrier as regards the gravitating contact materialto thereby substantially decrease wear of the screen.

Although screen arrangements of the character described above constitutean important feature of the invention, it shall be understood that, asregards some of its broader aspects, the invention is not to be limitedthereto. Thus, for example, it may be desirable, under somecircumstances, for the described screens to be replaced by perforatedmembers formed from suitable sheet material, these perforated members,as well as said screens, being suitably porous to the converted vaporsthroughout circumferentially complete areas thereof.

Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it will be understood thatcracked vapors and contact material fines are admitted, as the crackingoperation proceeds, to the chambers Al and A2 through the respectivescreens 18 and 26. As regards the chamber Al, the vapors and fines passdownwardly therethrough, and a portion of the fines are disentrained forpassage downwardly interiorly of the tubular member H. The remainingportion of the fines together with all of the vapors last noted havemaximum velocity at the bottom of said chamber Al as they flow throughthe passages Ila of said tubular member I! and enter the chamber A. Dueto the abrupt reversal in direction of said vapors at the passages Ila.and also due to decreased vapor velocity in the lower portion of thechamber A, it results that substantially all of the fines passing intosaid last'named chamber, settle to the bottom thereof and the upwardlymoving substantially fine-free vapors pass into the inlet ends of therespective pipes 3| As regards the chamber A2, the action is generallysimilar to that described above. some of the fines admitted to saidchamber A2 pass downwardly around the tubular member 2! whereassubstantially the entire remaining portion of the fines settledownwardly interiorly of the chamber defined by said tubular member 21and, thereafter, in solid bed fashion gravitate around the conicalmember 1. All of the vapors admitted to the chamber A2 enter the chamberA3 by Way of the described passages 2 la and pass upwardly through saidchamber A3 to the inlet sides of the respective pipes 30. During suchupward movement of the vapors, the fines settle therefrom and thisaction is enhanced by the change in vapor velocity which is effected bythe conical member 23, the use of which is optional.

A detailed feature of the invention relates to the provision of thehereinbefore described vanes or lips Nb and 2!?) which impart a whirlingor spinning motion to the vapors entering the chambers A and A3. Thiscontributes in an effective vapors flowing upwardly through the 9 manneras regards separation of fines from the respective chambers last noted.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that the chambers A andAI may be considered one single chamber through which disengaged vaporsfiow prior to passage thereof from the housing I. The conical member I9in this single chamber serves as a bafile controlling the direction andvelocity of vapor flow in such manner that, in said single chamber,fines are separated from the vapors to substantial extent. A similareffect exists as regards the chambers A2, A3 and the conical bafflemember 22. It shall be understood that the inventive feature thusdescribed relates broadly to a baflle-containing chamber traversed bydisengaged fine-carrying vapors or other gaseous medium of any suitablecharacter, whether a hydrocarbon or not, and that, except as stated inclaim language, the invention is not to be limited to the arrangementherein shown and described.

In addition to the foregoing some of the hydrocarbon vapors passdownwardly between the tubular members I5, 24 and are disengaged fromthe sloping surface of the contact material at the lower ends thereofwhereupon, along with excess steam or other purging medium admitted tothe housing I by way of the pipe I3, they pass upwardly into therespective chambers AI and A3.

The velocity and volume of all the vapor material last noted are suchthat the contact material is not lifted to any substantial extent at thesloping disengaging surfaces.

The tubular members I4, I! and 2i assist in de creasing surging of thegravitating contact material and this aids in obtaining maximumremembers. In the form of the invention herein illustrated, twodisengaging members are thus utilized although it will be understoodthat the invention is not to be thus limited.

After the contact material passes below the zone of the disengagerarrangement described above, it I engages and is deflected, duringconvergence thereof under the influence of the conical lower end of thehousing I, by the chamber-defining members "I, 8. Thereafter all of thecontact material passes through the pipe 5. As this opera tion proceeds,the purging medium is admitted continuously to the interior of thechamber-defining members I and 8 for engagement with the contactmaterial at the respective lower surfaces thereof.

It is a feature of the invention that the chamher-forming members I and8 have a dual function as generally referred to above. That is, thesemembers define chambers through which the purging medium passes prior toengagement thereof with the contact material and, in addition, saidmembers (together with a splitter plate assembly 32 which, whenutilized, may be secured to the lower surface of the bar I2 and formedfrom plates related at right angles to each other) maintain theg'ravitating contact material in separate streams as it passes through amajor portion of the lower conical end of the housing I. Resulting fromthe function last stated, undesired channelling of the contact materialis minimized or substantially prevented and this is accomplished in theabsence of the horizontal prior art tube sheets which, ordinarily, areutilized for this purpose. It shall be understood that, as regards saidchamber-forming members 1 and 8, or equivalent, there is to be nolimitation to use thereof with the described disengager arrangement.

In view of the previous description, it will be understood, by referenceto Fig. 1, that the lower portion of the chamber A is occupiedexclusively by contact material fines. Should it become desirable toremove these fines from the main stream of gravitating contact material,for a purpose well understood in the art as regards contact materialwhich circulates through reaction and regenerating housings, anarrangement of the character shown in Fig. 5 may be utilized. Thus, aplurality of downwardly inclined pipes Ilb may be secured to the lowerconical end of the housing I. These pipes lb, at their upper ends, openinto the bottom of the chamber A and, at their lower ends, they maycommunicate with a collector ring Ic having a discharge pipe Id leadingtherefrom, the collector ring Ic being inclined with respect to ahorizontal plane by an angle greater than the angle of repose of thefines. With an arrangement of this character, the contact material finesmay pass through the pipe I d to any suitable destination, not shown.Obviously, purge or seal gas may be admitted to the pipe Id to preventflow of vapor material therethrough from the interior of the housing Iwhile freely permitting passag of fines through said pipe Id.

As regards the feature of the invention described above, it shall beunderstood that, except as set forth in claim language, there shall beno restriction thereof to the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. In thedisclosed form of the invention, the fines are segregated from the mainstream of contact material during passage thereof through thedisengaging arrangement and, within the scope of the invention, thedisengaging arrangement may be located as desired within the reactionhousing.

In its broader aspects, the invention is not to b limited to thedetailed form thereof hereinbefore described. Thus, within the broadscope of the invention, there may be wide departure from the disclosedmechanical form of the disengager arrangement, the engager for thepurging medium and the supporting mechanism therefor. It will beunderstood that the screens, tubular members and other mechanical partsare formed from steel which is suitably resistant to the action of hightemperature.

An advantage of this invention resides in the fact that, with thedisclosed apparatus, the amount of contact material which may be passedthrough the disengaging zone per unit of time,

* while obtaining efiicient disengagement of vapors,

i substantially greater than the amount of contact material which may bepassed through prior art reactors during the same unit of time assuming,in each instance, that the vapor flow is maintained substantially thesame and that the height of the prior art disengaging zone remainsunchanged. It should be noted that the efiiciency of the discloseddisengaging system is improved as the annular space between the membersI5 and 24 approaches the minimum space relation consistent with thepassage therethrough of sufficient contact material to maintain thedesired rate of movement of contact material through the reaction zoneproper.

When the catalyst to oil ratio is high such, for example, as 10:1 or20:1, the disengaging zone of my invention may have larger diameter thanthat of the housing I. To this end, for example, an enlarged disengagingzone may be built around the housing 1 to thereby obtain increaseddisengaging capacity.

Although the preceding description relates specifically to apparatuswhich is utilized for disengaging purposes, it shall be understood, as hreinbefore stated, that such apparatus may be utilized for engagingvapors with contact mate rial. If so, it may be desirable for apparatussuch as the members I? and E9 to be omitted.

With respect to my invention as hereinbefore described, vapors may passin either direction along a path extending from the interior of thehousing i to the exterior thereof, this path, extending through one orboth of the porous surfaces defined by the respective screens 18 and E.In the appended claims, then, it shall be understood that expressionsspecifying that vapors are passed along a path as described above areintended to be descriptive either of a disengaging operation or anengaging operation.

In an application filed by me of even date herewith Serial No. 795,052,filed December 31, 1947, now Patent No. 2,577,791, there is a disclosureof apparatus utilizing imperforate conical members in lieu of thescreens l8 and 29 disclosed herein. The application referred toimmediately of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, onlysuch limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In gas-solid contacting apparatus, the combination of a housingadapted to be traversed by gravitating contact material and gas, acircumferentially complete porous member inclined downwardlyfrom thelower interior surface of said housing and forming a circumferentiallycomplete chamber therewith, an upwardly tapered conical porous bafiledisposed substantially concentrically with respect to the vertical axisof said reaction housing within the chamber defined by saidcircumferentially complete member and defining therewith the boundariesof a passageway into which the contact material converges duringgravitational movement thereof, a plurality of vertically spaced apartobstructions to fiow on the upper surfaces of both saidcircumferentially complete member and said conical baffle, and means forthe passage of gas, which means communicates with the exterior of thehousing, with the contact material, and includes said chamber.

2. In gas-solid contacting apparatus, the combination of a housingadapted to be traversed by gravitating contact material and. gas, acircumferentially complete porous member inclined downwardly from thelower interior surface of said housing and forming a circumferentiallycomplete chamber therewith, an upwardly tapered conical porous baflledisposed substantially concentrically with respect to the vertical axisof said reaction housing within the chamber defined by saidcircumferentially complete member and defining therewith the boundariesof a passageway into which the contact material converges duringgravitational movement thereof, an upwardly tapered conical baflieimpervious to gas flow and spaced concentrically below said conicalporous bafile, and means for the passage of gas, which meanscommunicates with the exterior of the housing, with the contactmaterial, and includes said chamber.

3. In apparatus, of the character described, a vertical housingtraversed concurrently by gravitating contact material and hydrocarbonvapors, a downwardly inclined, circumferentially com plete membersupported in the lower end of said housing and forming a chambertherewith, a circumferential-1y complete bailie member supported withinsaid chamber, a conical chamberforming member supported in the lower endof said housing at the center thereof, a conical baffie member supportedWithin the chamber defined by said last named member, said downwardlyinclined member and said conical chamber-forming member defining aconverging path for deflecting the contact material and, substantiallythroughout the area of each, being porous to vapors which, at saidmembers, are disengaged from the contact material for passage into saidfirst-named chamber and the chamber defined by said conical member, andmeans for withdrawing the vapors from said chambers.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a vertical housing traversedconcurrently by gravitating contact material and hydrocarbon vapors,means for disengaging the reacted vapors and entrained contact materialfines from the gravitating contact material in a lower zone of saidhousing, a fines-accumulating chamber into which the reacted vapors andentrained contact material fines are passed, a collector ring, and aplurality of spaced pipes leading from said chamber to said collectorring.

DWIGHT D. MCKINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,341,193 Scheineman Feb. 8, 19442,385,189 Bowles Sept. 18, 1945 2,394,710 McAfee Feb. 12, 1946 2,422,262Russel June 17, 1947 2,423,013 Evans June 24, 1947 2,429,545 BergstromOct. 21, 1947

